Bracing system for boxed produce loads



y H. PIERCE 2,475,719

BRACING SYSTEM FOR BOXED PRODUCE LOADS v Filed May 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l M19011 6? Firml- INVENTOR.

firraavzr July 12, 1949. H. c. PIERCE BRACING SYSTEM FOR BOXED PRODUCE LOADS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1946 INVENTOR.

firrozP/vzy .EQBOID PIER!!! Patented July 12, 1949 "LOADS 'BRAGING SYSTEM FOR .BOXED PRODUCE .Handld adml ierce, Bomonayflalif. Application May 15, 194'G,Serial No. 669,825

(Cl.z=1f05--;369)

8 Claims.

This invent-ion has '130 do generally with the bracing of box "produce loads in freight cars. and

'certain'of its important aspects relates to immovements in 'the type of 'box spacer unit *con- .stituting the subject matter of my Patent 'No. 1

12415368, issued February "4, 1947, "on Boxed 1 produce loads.

Thepresenlt type ofibrace "unit is particularly designed for insertion between opposed and alinedpairsofboxes arrangedi-nrows within the car, .in a .manner serving to maintain the boxes "in spaced relation and in a condition of stability preventing their injury during transit. Specifi- "cally, the brace unit is made to comprise abod-y sides of thepox pairs, to maintain the latter in "spaced relation, and end projections received between the box sides and having-such dimensions as will permit intereng-agement of the box sides.

The primary function of the end projections is fto prevent lateral or horizontal displacement of "the spaeer'unit-s.

'Itfhaebeen'found that "because of looseness'in the *box load, through failure 'to properly sufiicientspacing'ma'y exist between some of the boxes as will permit upward displacement of the unit's from proper holding or spacing relation to I theboxes, "such tendencies of the units to become thus 'displacedbeing .caused "-by vibration of the Plead-durin transit. My primary object now-is to provide :suchi-mprovem-ents in the units as will positively prec'lude the possibility of "their becoming upwardly displaced from the proper spaced -pos'itionsin*which "they originally are installed.

In accordance with the invention, means is .providedat the ends of the units for reception beneath the bottoms ofthe spaced boxes, all 'in a manner such that the boxes themselves hold down the spacers against any tendencies toward upward displacement. Specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of lateral end projections to be "received beneath the boxes and hav- *ing suo'h dimensions as will permit thebot'tomsof the boxes to rest' -direotly on supporting surfaces, -asfor example the top'surfaces of lower boxes in the load. -Preferably, both the vertically positioned end projections maintaining the units against horizontal displacement, and the lateral projections received beneath the boxes, are made as sheet metalex'tending in right angle relation.

with the bottom flanges disposed in "the plane 'of the bottom surfaces of the boxes.

All -ofvarious features, and objects of the invention, as well as the details of certain typica-Pem the boxes longitudinally of the ear,

bodiments, will be from *theiol-lowing description of the accompanyingrdrawings, in which:

"citrus 'car load in .a

illustrating a understood to better advantage Fig. "l is -a*broken-side elevation illustrating a typical form comprising :two "lower tiers of "boxes stacked on end, and .atop tier of horizontally positioned boxes;

Fig. 2 15a cross-seetion on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '3 is a fragmentary view similar "to Fig. "T2 variational arrangement of 'thetojp tier boxes:

Fig. lisa fragmentary side view showing the spacer unit in enlarged detail;

Fig. 5 is "a plan view of .-Fig. 4; Figs. 6,? and 7a areperspective views showing different typical formsoi end. projections carried by "the spacer units;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 2 illustrating :a variational adaptation of the invention as .ap-

plied to a grape "lug load;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlargedsection on lined-9 of Fig. 8:

Fig; is a :fra'gmentaryenlarged plan on line 55 "the opposed tion by individual spacer .units tier I3, with their long dimensions transversely 'oft'he 'car. Th-etoptier fboxes :may be arranged in three rows extending longitudinally of the car, It engaged and row It spaced at 1! from *row l'8, as in Fig. 2; or the .rows may be given "transverse spaced symmetrical arrangement with corresponding spacings at 19 and 20, as inthe 'form of loadshown in Fig. 3.

The box rows are maintained in spaced rela- 2'I, Fig. '2 or units "22, Fig. .3, as the case may be, associated with "spaced opposedpa'irs of the'boxes as clearly illustratedin Figs. 4 and5. The unit '21 is shown to comprise abod yportion 23 comprising a wooden "block whose "length corresponds to a spacing at ill which, together with the ,long dimensions of "the iaoxes F5, f6 and, will correspond substantially to "the inside width of "the car. As illustrated, the body "23 gres'ts horizontally on the box tier I73 in overlapping 1 relation withthe ends of box Illa, "l'fib, and We, lfl'd, "at

their adjacent side surfaces 24. Preferably an individual spacer unit 2| is provided in the position shown at each successive box pair so that the end of each box is transversely supported and spaced adjacent its side.

Each unit 2| carries a pair of end projections 25 in the form of sheet metal elements having vertically extending portions or flanges 26, the inner ends of which are driven into and embedded in the block 23. These vertical portions 26 of the end projections are received between the box sides 24 to hold the blocks against transverse shifting, and are sufiiciently thin to permit interengagement of the box sides, particularly as they are pressed together in the usual car squeezing operation. The unit is positively held againstupward displacement by the reception beneath the boxes and at the inside of the end cleats '21 of a pair of horizontal projections or flanges 28, the latter being sufficiently thin that the bottoms of the boxes rest directly on the supporting surfaces below. Both the vertical and horizontal projections advantageously are made from a single piece of sheet metal by forming flanges 28 integral with portion 26 and turning them to project horizontally at opposite sides. It will be observed that the flanges 28 are disposed in the common plane of the bottom surfaces of the unit body 23 and the boxes and that in the inserted condition of the spacer, the flanges 28 extend at the inside of the end cleats 2'! to permit the latter to rest directly on the box supporting surfaces.

Fig. 7a illustrates a variational form of end projection 29 generally similar to the projection as shown in Fig. 6, except that the vertical portion 30, and preferably also the lateral flanges 3! are longitudinally corrugated to add rigidity to the metal and give it irregular box-engaging surfaces.

In accordance with the variational form shown in Fig. '7, the body 32 of the spacer unit has bottom, relatively thin end projections 33 for reception beneath the boxes to serve the purposes of the above described flanges 28, although in this instance the end portions 33 may be sufiiciently Wide to serve as bottom rests for the boxes and thus support them with corresponding clearance from the surface below. The body 32 is maintained against lateral displacement by thin. me-

tallic projections 34 to be received between the interengaging box sides, and driven into the end of the block 32 in overlying relation to the end portion 33.

Figs. 8 to 10 illustrate a conventional grape lug load in which the horizontally positioned boxes 35 are placed in stacks alined in rows extending transversely and longitudinally in the car 36. As usual, the box load may be maintained in spaced relation to the side walls of the car by suitable braces 31 interconnected as by steel straps 38 extending transversely between the boxes.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, the lugs in successive transverse rows 39 and 40 of the vertical stacks are spaced apart at 4| l by individual spacer assemblies, generally indicated at 4|, placed at the corners of successive box pairs. Each unit 4! comprises a block 42 engaging and overlapping the ends of eight boxes comprising, as to each unit, successive vertical pairs in the stacks 39 and 40 to maintain at 4| I a spacing corresponding to the width of the block. The latter is maintained against transverse shifting by a vertically positioned sheet metal section 43, see Fig. 11, received between adjacent sides 44 of the boxes, and pref- I erably having suflicient thinness to permit interengagement of the box sides, at least when the load is subjected to pressures tending to compact the boxes together. Each spacer unit is vertically confined and supported in fixed position by a horizontal sheet metal section 45 received between the top and bottom surfaces of the vertically adjacent box pairs, as shown in Fig. 9. Section 45 may be sufficiently thin to permit little or no effective vertical spacing between the boxes, or it may be thickened to afford. such vertical spacing as may be desired.

Where in the claims reference is made to the ends and sides of the boxes, such terms are used to distinguish different vertical box walls without any intended limitation with respect to the relative dimensions of those walls.

I claim:

1. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, a projection carried, by and extending beyond said member and receivable between the interengaging vertically extending sides of the boxes of one of said spaced pairs to prevent horizontal shifting of the spacer unit relative to the boxes, and means carried by said member to extend beneath the bottom one of the boxes to prevent upward displacement of said member.

2. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, a projection carried by and extending beyond said member and receivable between the interengaging vertically extending sides of the boxes of one of said spaced pairs to prevent horizontal shifting of the spacer unit relative to the boxes, and means carried by said member to extend beneath the bottom one of the boxes to prevent upward displacement of said member, said means permitting said box to rest directly on a supporting surface.

.3. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs. of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, a projection carried by and extending beyond said member and receivable between the interengaging vertically extending sides of the boxes of one of said spaced pairs to prevent horizontal shifting of the spacer unit relative to the boxes, and means beyond opposite ends of said member to extend beneath bottom surfaces of the boxes to prevent upward displacement of said member.

4. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising av member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, a projection carried by and extending beyond said member and receivable between the interengaging vertically extending sides of the boxes of one of said spaced pairs to prevent horizontal shifting of the spacer unit relative to the boxes, and means extending laterally beyond both sides of said projection to be received beneath the bottom of one of the boxes to prevent upward displacement of said member.

5. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a, member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppOsitely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, a projection carried by and extending beyond said member and receivable between the interengaging vertically extending sides of the boxes of one of said spaced pairs to prevent horizontal shifting of the spacer unit relative to the boxes, and means formed integrally with and extending laterally from opposite sides of said projection to be received beneath the bottoms of said one of the spaced pairs to prevent upward displacement of said member.

6. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, and a metallic element carried by and extending beyond said member and of sufficient thinness to be receivable between engaging vertically extending sides of the boxes of one of said spaced pairs to prevent hori zontal shifting of the spacer unit relative to the boxes, said element having an integral lateral metallic projection receivable beneath the bottom of one of the boxes to prevent upward displacement of said member, said lateral projection permitting said bottom of the box to rest directly on a supporting surface.

7. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, thin sheet metal elements carried by and extending beyond said member and of sufiicient thinness to be receivable between engaging vertically extending sides of said spaced pairs of boxes to prevent horizontal shifting of the spaced unit relative to the boxes, said element having integral lateral flanges disposed in the plane of the bottom surfaces of said boxes and receivable beneath said surfaces to prevent upward displacement of said member, said flanges permitting the bottoms of the boxes to rest directly on supporting surfaces.

3. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads, a spacer unit comprising a member adapted to be placed between and in engagement with the ends of oppositely positioned spaced pairs of boxes and at each side of the interengaging sides of the boxes in each pair, a thin sheet metal element having a driven end embedded in said member and being of sufiicient thinness to be receivable between engaging vertically extending sides of one of said spaced pair of boxes to prevent horizontal shifting of the spacer unit, said element having integral horizontally turned side flanges disposed in the plane of the bottom surfaces of the box and receivable beneath said surfaces to prevent upward displacement of said member, said side flanges permitting the bottoms of the boxes to rest directly on supporting surfaces.

HAROLD C. PIERCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,475,? 19. July 12, 1949.

HAROLD O. PIERCE It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 4, claim 7, for the Word spaced read spacer;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommzm'oner of Patents. 

